I am happy to report that I just had a FANTASTIC experience with Harmony Airways.

I am extremely allergic to nuts, peanuts and shellfish, and so it's very difficult for me to fly - especially with all of the airlines going back to serving nuts and peanuts these days. (With the millions of allergic adults and kids in North America, I can't imagine why the would, but that's another story...)

So I hadn't been on a plane in several years, but I really wanted to get home for the holidays. Westjet and Air Canada, as always, said there was nothing they could do for me.

But the Vancouver-based airline Harmony Airways - who were nut-free but sadly just started serving cashews! - not only offered to omit nuts from my flight, but also made THREE announcements on my flight (in the waiting room at the gate, on boarding, and shortly after takeoff) explaining that there was a severely nut-allergic person on board and asked passengers to refrain from eating nut-containing foods during the flight to avoid a reaction. Everyone complied. The flight attendant also told me that, because they knew I was going to be on the Toronto-Vancouver flight, they didn't serve any nuts on the Vancouver-Toronto flight earlier in the day! The flight attendants were also very caring and conscientious and checked up on me at several points in the flight. It turned what was a very harrowing prospect - flying by myself on an airplane where people eat nuts every day - into something that I could manage. I just put a blanket on the seat, wiped down the arms and the table tray with some wipes, and I was fine.

We're never going to get "nut free" flights - everything "may contain traces" these days - but I think we should be sending all of the airlines a clear message that if they refrain from serving nuts, either as snacks or in the meals, they will have thousands and thousands more passengers every single year. We'll have to bring our own food - but at least we'll be able to fly!

I also just found out that Harmony is in the process of making some changes to its catering, so now is the time to write and tell them that if they stop serving nuts, you will certainly consider flying with them. The Director of Cabin Services is a lovely woman named Lynda Veeneman <lveeneman@harmonyairways.com> who knows all about the nut issue because of me. Please write her and tell her how much we appreciate the airline's excellent treatment of allergic passengers, and how a flight without nuts is literally a life-saver.

this was really great to read .. i will check it out as i can't imagine going through potential situations with my son every time i want to travel.. nice that there is a somewhat-understanding attitude from them...

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